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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. club — for golf
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bass — low music
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. club — a group
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. roll — a list
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. roll — a cake
  19. current — electric
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  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