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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — there
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rule — government
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bound — certain
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — a gift
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rock — music
  16. present — the time now
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. club — for dancing
  22. rule — a law
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — tied together

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