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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mug — to rob
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. club — a group
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — electric
  9. kid — child
  10. craft — boats
  11. fall — the season
  12. craft — a skill
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — happening now
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — of water
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mug — a face
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. mug — a cup
  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