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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — a series
  3. current — electric
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. club — a group
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — thin
  10. club — for golf
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. key — in music
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. key — the most important part
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — a price
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lean — to bend
  23. current — happening now
  24. hand — help

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