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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bark — to shout
  3. club — for golf
  4. spell — letters
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. track — a song
  8. pit — a hole
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pit — in a race
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pop — to visit
  16. track — a path
  17. spell — magic
  18. track — to keep track
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — soda
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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