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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. can — a tin
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. track — to keep track
  12. hand — help
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — a box
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chest — of your body
  19. track — a path
  20. chest — of your body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. track — a song
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fork — a garden tool

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