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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. net — in sport
  3. club — a group
  4. net — for catching
  5. suit — to fit
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. last — final
  9. bound — obliged
  10. net — after costs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. club — for dancing
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. suit — clothes
  16. club — for golf
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. shower — rain
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. suit — in cards

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