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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. club — for golf
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. net — for catching
  6. club — a group
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. net — after costs
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — a hint
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. net — in sport
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. march — music
  24. pass — a permit

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