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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — a group
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. net — in sport
  6. club — for golf
  7. last — final
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. can — a tin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hand — help
  15. staff — employees
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — a stick
  18. can — to be able to
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — to go on

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