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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. club — for golf
  3. clip — for paper
  4. key — in music
  5. club — a group
  6. key — the most important part
  7. clip — a video
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. key — for a lock
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. current — electric
  24. jam — a tight spot

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