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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. staff — employees
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. club — for golf
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. staff — employees
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. club — a group
  20. season — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. staff — a stick

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