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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mug — to rob
  3. club — for golf
  4. squash — to crush
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. season — of the year
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. current — of water
  12. season — in sport
  13. mine — for digging
  14. club — a group
  15. squash — the sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. current — happening now
  18. mug — a cup
  19. club — for dancing
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mug — a face
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. season — to add flavour

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