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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. suit — to fit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. club — a group
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. drill — army training
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. roll — a cake
  19. club — for golf
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. clip — to cut
  23. drill — the tool
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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