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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 116 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rest — what's left
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. pop — to visit
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. current — of water
  12. suit — to fit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. pop — soda
  16. content — the amount
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rest — a break
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pop — music
  23. club — for golf
  24. pound — to hit hard

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