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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. spell — a short time
  3. clip — a video
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. clip — for paper
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spell — letters
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the sport
  11. club — a group
  12. squash — to crush
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — magic
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — to rob
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — a face
  24. coach — a trainer

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