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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rock — a stone
  4. chair — a leader
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to click
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rock — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. club — for dancing
  17. prune — to trim
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — to sink
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. club — a group

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