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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bear — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spring — the season
  24. sharp — clever

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