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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mug — a face
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. club — for golf
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — of a tree

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