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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: game · kick · current · pound · tube · temple · club · mouse

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. club — for golf
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — a group
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. game — a match
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. current — of water
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. tube — the underground

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