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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. club — a group
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — to bear
  6. field — a subject
  7. bound — tied together
  8. squash — the sport
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — all right
  20. current — of water
  21. squash — to crush
  22. field — for sport
  23. club — for golf
  24. field — farmland

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