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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spring — a coil
  7. land — a country
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. club — for golf
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — a group
  12. spring — of water
  13. land — ground
  14. land — to come down
  15. cue — for pool
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. mug — a face
  18. spring — the season
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cue — a hint
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. branch — a division

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