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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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. club — for dancing
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — a group
  6. fine — high quality
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. scale — in music
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. object — a thing
  15. club — for golf
  16. staff — employees
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. object — an aim
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fine — all right
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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