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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mate — a partner
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mate — a friend
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bat — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — for money
  13. club — for golf
  14. drill — a practice
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. scale — in music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pit — a hole
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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