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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — a group
  4. season — of the year
  5. current — electric
  6. club — for dancing
  7. current — of water
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. drill — a practice
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. club — for golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. season — in sport
  24. rock — a stone

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