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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — for golf
  3. tube — a container
  4. club — for dancing
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. club — a group
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tube — the underground
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. snap — to click
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — of the year
  23. deal — to handle
  24. foot — a measure

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