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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bass — the fish
  4. club — a group
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. spell — letters
  9. bat — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. club — for golf
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. spell — magic

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