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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wound — an injury
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — a group
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — music
  19. club — for golf
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fine — all right
  24. season — to add flavour

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