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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rest — what's left
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. capital — money
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lean — thin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bass — low music
  10. club — for golf
  11. capital — a city
  12. pit — in a race
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bass — the fish
  20. pop — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. mate — a friend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — soda

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