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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — a grade
  3. track — a song
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fall — the season
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — for dancing
  11. track — to keep track
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — in sport
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. club — a group
  17. track — a path
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. season — of the year
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fall — to drop

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