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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. land — a country
  7. ball — a great time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bat — the animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — for dancing
  17. land — ground
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a dance
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. land — to come down

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