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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — hurry
  4. track — to keep track
  5. current — electric
  6. file — a line of people
  7. current — of water
  8. track — a path
  9. club — for dancing
  10. object — to protest
  11. file — a document
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. file — a tool
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — an aim
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. track — a song
  19. object — a thing
  20. bound — certain
  21. current — happening now
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. club — a group

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