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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ground — the earth
  9. chip — for betting
  10. drill — army training
  11. club — for golf
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — a position
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — to fit
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. perch — the fish
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mug — a face
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. perch — for a bird

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