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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. club — for dancing
  3. kick — in football
  4. mug — a face
  5. tube — a container
  6. last — to go on
  7. cell — in biology
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a dance
  13. current — happening now
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — final
  18. current — of water
  19. club — for golf
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. club — a group
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com