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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — help
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. rash — a series
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — magic
  24. pit — in a race

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