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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — a company
  7. perch — the fish
  8. last — final
  9. firm — steady
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. club — a group
  17. last — finally
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. firm — decided

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