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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rule — government
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rule — a law
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — in music
  10. club — for golf
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. scale — size or range
  13. spell — magic
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spell — a short time

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