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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. club — a group
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. rush — hurry
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. club — for golf
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ruler — for measuring

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