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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stick · current · game · ruler · march · foot · net

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. net — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — a match
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. march — the month
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — happening now
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. march — music

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