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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. club — a group
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pop — soda
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. charge — a price
  9. current — happening now
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pop — music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. club — for golf
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. charge — in control

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