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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. staff — employees
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. land — a country
  11. club — a group
  12. row — to paddle
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rush — hurry
  15. land — ground
  16. toast — bread
  17. staff — employees
  18. object — a thing
  19. staff — a stick
  20. club — for dancing
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. land — to come down

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