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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. tube — the underground
  3. current — electric
  4. club — a group
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bat — the animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. club — for golf
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. current — of water
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. tube — in a tire

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