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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. club — for golf
  3. current — of water
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pass — a permit
  7. field — farmland
  8. track — a path
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. club — a group
  15. rock — a stone
  16. current — electric
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — music
  20. hand — help
  21. track — a song
  22. hand — in cards
  23. club — for dancing
  24. field — for sport

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