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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. current — of water
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. face — to confront
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — a group
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. capital — money
  12. hand — in cards
  13. capital — a city
  14. current — happening now
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. face — part of the head
  17. club — for golf
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. hand — help
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bass — low music
  24. hand — part of the body

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