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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. current — electric
  5. track — a path
  6. board — a committee
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. club — for dancing
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. club — for golf
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ball — a dance
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — a group
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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