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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. current — electric
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — a partner
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. content — happy
  14. game — wild animals
  15. present — there
  16. present — the time now
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — a gift
  20. mate — to breed
  21. content — the amount
  22. mate — a friend
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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