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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — happening now
  3. ball — a dance
  4. land — a country
  5. march — the month
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — of water
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — a group
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. current — electric
  19. club — for golf
  20. march — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. land — to come down
  23. land — ground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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