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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. roll — a cake
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fine — high quality
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. firm — steady
  11. plane — a tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. club — for dancing
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fine — all right
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. firm — a company
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. roll — a list
  23. shower — rain
  24. plane — an aircraft

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