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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. club — for golf
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. drill — army training
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. club — a group
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. chip — for betting
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fine — all right
  24. chair — a professorship

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