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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chest — of your body
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. club — a group
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitch — completely
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — a box
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fan — a supporter

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