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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rock — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. stand — to bear
  8. deal — to handle
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. club — for golf
  11. fine — all right
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fine — high quality
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rock — a stone
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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