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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. tube — the underground
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — for catching
  11. bound — certain
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. club — for dancing
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. tube — a container
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tube — in a tire

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