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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. scale — in music
  4. mug — a cup
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mug — a face
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — size or range
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in biology
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. roll — a list
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — a cake
  24. safe — out of danger

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