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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: bark · bat · leaves · cue · club · net · current · swing

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. swing — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — for pool
  7. club — a group
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — in golf
  14. net — after costs
  15. swing — to play on
  16. cue — a signal
  17. current — of water
  18. bark — to shout
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — electric
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. net — in sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bat — in an idiom

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