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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — wild animals
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. current — of water
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. club — a group
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. game — a match
  16. current — electric
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. club — for golf
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. club — for dancing

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