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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. press — a publisher
  4. net — after costs
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kid — child
  7. press — newspapers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — to go on
  10. net — in sport
  11. kid — to tease
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — for dancing
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. press — to push
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. club — for golf
  19. last — final
  20. mate — a partner
  21. last — finally
  22. net — for catching
  23. mate — a friend
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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