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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. club — for golf
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. game — a match
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. game — wild animals
  19. club — for dancing
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bass — low music
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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