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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · club · pound · cabinet · fan · current · kick · racket

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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 golf
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rush — hurry
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — in football
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — of water
  20. club — a group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — with a leg
  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