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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rock — music
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. branch — a division
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rock — a stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rock — to move gently

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