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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mark — a trace
  3. club — a group
  4. rash — a series
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for dancing
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. root — of a word
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. mark — a grade
  21. kid — child
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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