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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. tube — the underground
  3. club — for dancing
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mug — a cup
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — to rob
  9. last — finally
  10. fine — all right
  11. last — to go on
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. club — a group
  14. mug — a face
  15. tube — a container
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cold — not warm
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cold — an illness
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. last — final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. tube — in a tire
  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