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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.

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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: fine · present · spring · current · club · row · mate · staff

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — electric
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. fine — high quality
  7. club — a group
  8. fine — all right
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mate — a partner
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. present — a gift
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — for golf
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — of water
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mate — a friend
  23. staff — employees
  24. spring — of water

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