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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. track — a song
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. track — a path
  9. fall — the season
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — to keep track
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bear — the animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. club — for golf

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