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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spell — a short time
  6. club — for golf
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. spell — magic
  18. stock — shares
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — goods
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — letters

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