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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. field — a subject
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bound — certain
  7. field — for sport
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — music
  10. net — after costs
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bound — obliged
  13. club — for golf
  14. deal — to handle
  15. net — for catching
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bound — tied together
  21. field — farmland
  22. net — in sport
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pass — a permit

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