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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bass — low music
  4. ground — a position
  5. charge — in control
  6. mug — a cup
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — to rob
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — the earth
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. club — a group
  15. root — of a plant
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mug — a face
  18. ground — crushed
  19. root — of a word
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — a price
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. saw — the tool
  24. root — the cause

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