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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. club — for golf
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. scale — size or range
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — in music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — what's left
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — of the leg

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