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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a path
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. perch — the fish
  9. track — to keep track
  10. swing — in golf
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. club — for dancing
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — to shout
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. club — for golf
  24. swing — to play on

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