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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — a group
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. press — to push
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — all right
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — what's left

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