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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. current — of water
  3. club — for dancing
  4. current — electric
  5. scale — in music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. scale — size or range
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — happening now
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. fork — in a road
  22. club — a group
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. club — for golf

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