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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. drill — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. drill — a practice
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for dancing
  12. track — a path
  13. wound — an injury
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — a container
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. track — a song
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tube — the underground
  23. track — to keep track
  24. squash — the sport

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