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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 rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. tube — a container
  6. cell — in biology
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rule — a law
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — for dancing
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rule — government
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. cell — in a prison

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