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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. hand — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — in cards
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tube — the underground
  13. drill — a practice
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. drill — the tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. hand — help
  18. club — a group
  19. game — a match
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. drill — army training
  22. tube — a container
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. club — for dancing

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