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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. current — electric
  5. row — a line
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. club — for dancing
  9. current — happening now
  10. row — to paddle
  11. track — a path
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. suit — in cards
  14. track — a song
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. track — to keep track
  17. sharp — clever
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. suit — clothes
  24. sharp — exactly

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