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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. club — a group
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — help
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. club — for golf
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. bear — the animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. bear — the animal

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