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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. staff — employees
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — the fish
  8. track — a song
  9. saw — the tool
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. track — a path
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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