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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: cap · bowl · current · club · mark · swing · bulb · date

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. current — of water
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. current — happening now
  9. club — for golf
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. swing — music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — electric
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cap — a hat
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cap — a lid
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. date — the fruit

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