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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. club — for dancing
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. club — for golf
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — to handle
  8. scale — size or range
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. scale — in music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. snap — to click
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — high quality
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. club — a group
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fine — all right
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tube — a container

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