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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 120 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. spell — magic
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — moving air
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. present — the time now
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wind — moving air
  15. club — for golf
  16. suit — in cards
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spell — a short time
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitch — completely
  21. spell — letters
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — there

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