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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. fine — high quality
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bank — for money
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to sink
  13. perch — the fish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — happy
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — the amount
  20. pass — a permit
  21. fine — all right
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. nail — on a finger

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