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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. club — for golf
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — hasty
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lie — an untruth

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