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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. band — a music group
  3. mate — a partner
  4. club — for golf
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mate — to breed
  10. land — to come down
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — ground
  15. spring — of water
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — for a computer

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