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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. club — a group
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. club — for golf
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — to fit
  12. club — for dancing
  13. staff — a stick
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. suit — clothes
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — employees
  24. track — a path

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