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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cell — in biology
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for dancing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — a phone
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. club — for golf
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — in cards
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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