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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. club — for golf
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wound — an injury
  11. snap — to click
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — a list
  16. pound — a weight
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. can — a tin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. club — for dancing

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