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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pop — music
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. club — for golf
  12. spell — letters
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spell — a short time
  15. club — a group
  16. spell — magic
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring

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