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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. plane — a tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ball — a dance
  15. club — a group
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — electric
  20. stock — shares
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — to go on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ball — a great time

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