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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: club · dip · rock · jam · rush · craft · current · patient

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — for golf
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — electric
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rock — a stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a skill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — boats
  15. rush — hurry
  16. club — for dancing
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. current — of water
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rock — music
  24. jam — a tight spot

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