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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. cue — a signal
  3. club — a group
  4. cue — a hint
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — the fish
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — a law
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. club — for dancing
  17. race — the arms race
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cue — for pool
  24. race — a contest

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