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

Word bank: stick · lash · court · current · snap · club · track · bark

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. track — a path
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. track — a song
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — for dancing
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — of water
  15. court — of law
  16. track — to keep track
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. snap — to click

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