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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. lie — to recline
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — happening now
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — for golf
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. season — of the year
  18. current — electric
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mate — a friend
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — of water
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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