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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. club — a group
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rock — a stone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tube — a container
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for golf
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rule — a law
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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