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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. club — a group
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — of water
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. current — happening now
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. current — electric
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bore — to drill
  15. ground — a position
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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