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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. fine — all right
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. game — a match
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — high quality
  22. club — for dancing
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — wild animals

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