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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. club — for golf
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hand — in cards
  15. lean — to bend
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. club — for dancing
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bat — the animal
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hand — help
  24. ball — a great time

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