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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. row — to paddle
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — electric
  6. root — of a word
  7. season — of the year
  8. root — the cause
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stock — shares
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. scale — size or range
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stock — goods
  16. scale — in music
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. current — happening now
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. row — a line
  24. current — of water

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