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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — for golf
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kid — child
  5. club — for dancing
  6. present — a gift
  7. club — a group
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pass — a permit
  12. land — ground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. land — a country
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. deal — to handle
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. squash — the vegetable

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