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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wake — a trail
  7. lie — to recline
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. swing — to play on
  12. foot — a measure
  13. land — ground
  14. swing — in golf
  15. club — for golf
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. land — to come down
  20. swing — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pound — a weight
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — for dogs

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