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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pit — in a race
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. club — for golf
  7. stock — shares
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — happening now
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — of water
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. club — for dancing
  24. racket — for tennis

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