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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. chip — for betting
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. band — a music group
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bore — to drill
  10. track — a song
  11. club — for golf
  12. chip — to eat
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — of law
  15. track — to keep track
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bore — to tire
  18. court — for sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. track — a path
  23. court — of a king
  24. arm — part of the 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