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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — a group
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — for golf
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — electric
  17. mark — a trace
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a dance
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ground — the earth

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