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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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. suit — to fit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. row — a line
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. suit — in cards
  13. can — a tin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — clothes
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. club — for golf
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. saw — the tool
  23. row — to paddle
  24. can — to be able to

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