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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · bear · bound · row · roll · current · mark · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. current — of water
  3. mark — a trace
  4. club — for golf
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bound — obliged
  7. club — a group
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — a line
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. current — happening now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. roll — a list
  20. bound — tied together
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. row — to paddle
  24. current — electric

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