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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — for dancing
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — the fish
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pop — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — in a road
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — soda
  17. toast — bread
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. club — a group
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — a garden tool

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