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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. club — for golf
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — a gift
  6. toast — bread
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. rash — a series
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — hasty
  18. present — there
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. present — the time now
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. club — a group

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