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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. land — a country
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — of water
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. club — for dancing
  10. current — happening now
  11. land — ground
  12. pitch — completely
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — electric
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. dip — to sink
  20. club — for golf
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. land — to come down
  24. hide — to keep secret

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