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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 116 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — a position
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cell — in biology
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bank — for money
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. club — a group
  24. mine — an explosive

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