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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stock — goods
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — shares
  13. spring — the season
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. club — a group
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. spring — of water
  23. mate — a friend
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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