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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. prune — to trim
  16. club — for golf
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. prune — to trim
  24. snap — to click

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