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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. present — a gift
  3. row — a line
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — electric
  13. present — the time now
  14. current — of water
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. mark — a grade
  17. swing — to play on
  18. mine — for digging
  19. club — a group
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. present — there
  22. club — for golf
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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