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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. net — in sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fine — all right
  17. wind — moving air
  18. net — for catching
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. suit — in cards
  22. club — a group
  23. fine — high quality
  24. net — after costs

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