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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — a group
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pitch — completely
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. shower — to wash
  14. field — a subject
  15. shower — rain
  16. field — for sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. club — for dancing
  24. field — farmland

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