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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. club — for golf
  3. fine — high quality
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. net — after costs
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rule — a law
  11. fine — all right
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — a signal
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — a group
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rule — government
  23. cue — a hint
  24. net — for catching

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