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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — for golf
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. club — a group
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pound — a weight

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