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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — a group
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. swing — music
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mark — a grade
  20. swing — in golf
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. club — for dancing
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bank — of a river

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