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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — to rob
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — electric
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — happy
  13. mug — a cup
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. club — a group
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. content — the amount
  23. stock — shares
  24. racket — a loud noise

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