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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — of water
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. drill — army training
  6. rush — hurry
  7. club — for golf
  8. drill — the tool
  9. game — a match
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — wild animals
  14. current — happening now
  15. present — the time now
  16. perch — the fish
  17. club — a group
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. present — a gift
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. current — electric

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