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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cell — a phone
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — a group
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bore — to tire
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — to visit
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pop — music
  21. club — for dancing
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — the sport
  24. cap — a hat

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