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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. row — to paddle
  3. club — for dancing
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — a group
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spell — magic
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. key — the most important part
  18. row — a line
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — music
  21. key — in music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spell — letters

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