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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pop — music
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cell — in biology
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cell — a phone
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pop — soda
  10. club — a group
  11. dip — to sink
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. ground — crushed
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pop — to visit
  17. squash — to crush
  18. suit — clothes
  19. squash — the sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. ground — a position
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ground — the earth
  24. cell — in a prison

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