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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mug — a face
  3. pop — soda
  4. court — for sport
  5. roll — a list
  6. present — a gift
  7. court — of law
  8. club — for golf
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bank — for money
  12. present — the time now
  13. field — a subject
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — of a king
  17. field — farmland
  18. mug — to rob
  19. present — there
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pop — music
  23. field — for sport
  24. bank — of a river

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