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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. club — a group
  3. bound — certain
  4. club — for golf
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. scale — in music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hand — help
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chest — a box
  23. scale — size or range
  24. ground — a position

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