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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. present — the time now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. sharp — clever
  8. club — for dancing
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — in cards
  12. present — a gift
  13. hand — help
  14. current — of water
  15. present — there
  16. track — a path
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. toast — bread
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. track — a song
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. current — happening now

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