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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 120 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
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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: calf · stick · track · current · club · game · bulb · tear

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tear — to rip
  8. current — of water
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — a path
  23. game — a match
  24. track — a song

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