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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. kid — child
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fine — high quality
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. ground — a position
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. club — a group
  18. deal — to handle
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fine — all right
  21. ground — the earth
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — to protest

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