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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. object — to protest
  3. last — finally
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. net — for catching
  7. object — an aim
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — final
  13. net — in sport
  14. club — a group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. stock — shares
  18. net — after costs
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. stock — goods
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. racket — a loud noise

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