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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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. temple — side of the head
  4. field — for sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — a stick
  7. row — a line
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — to paddle
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — farmland
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. club — a group
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. field — a subject

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