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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. club — a group
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. mate — a partner
  8. spell — a short time
  9. club — for dancing
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — help
  23. spell — magic
  24. wound — an injury

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