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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. date — the fruit
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. net — for catching
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mine — for digging
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rash — a series
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rash — hasty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. club — a group
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. club — for golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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