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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. race — the arms race
  10. club — for dancing
  11. race — humankind
  12. drill — a practice
  13. row — a line
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. drill — army training
  19. rush — hurry
  20. race — a contest
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — a grade
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. club — for golf

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