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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. club — for golf
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rock — music
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rash — a series
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rash — hasty

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