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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. club — for golf
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. court — of a king
  7. wake — a trail
  8. club — for dancing
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mug — a cup
  11. club — a group
  12. bass — the fish
  13. court — for sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bass — low music
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. court — of law
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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