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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. foot — a measure
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. chest — a box
  8. drill — the tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — a company
  11. tube — the underground
  12. club — for golf
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. drill — army training
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. firm — steady
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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