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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. current — of water
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. current — electric
  6. land — a country
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. land — to come down
  10. roll — a cake
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — ground
  13. spell — magic
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spell — a short time
  21. roll — a list
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a committee
  24. roll — on a roll

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