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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — a group
  4. game — wild animals
  5. club — for golf
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. row — a line
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. scale — in music
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. row — to paddle
  18. current — electric
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. game — a match
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. current — of water

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