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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: wound · mouse · club · date · land · cabinet · current · rock

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — music
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. club — a group
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. current — of water
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. land — a country
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. land — ground
  20. current — happening now
  21. land — to come down
  22. current — electric
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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