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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — magic
  12. pop — soda
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. club — a group
  16. pop — music
  17. spell — letters
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bat — in an idiom

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