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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. march — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. club — for golf
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — electric
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — hurry

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