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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. club — a group
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cold — an illness
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. club — for dancing
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a song
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. cold — not warm
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. track — a path
  24. arm — part of the body

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