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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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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. present — a gift
  4. tube — a container
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. present — the time now
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. club — for golf
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. saw — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. present — there
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. club — for dancing
  18. 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