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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — electric
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bass — the fish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. field — a subject
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. field — for sport
  14. current — happening now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — of water
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bass — low music

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