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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. club — for golf
  5. mug — to rob
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. staff — employees
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. staff — a stick
  19. shower — rain
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mug — a face
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. staff — employees
  24. club — for dancing

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