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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pop — soda
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — the earth
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. spring — a coil
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. rock — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spring — the season
  17. club — a group
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mug — a face
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spring — of water
  23. mug — to rob
  24. arm — a part of something

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