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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. suit — to fit
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — of the year
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. suit — in cards
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — to wash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. club — for dancing
  18. court — for sport
  19. season — in sport
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. court — of a king
  22. shower — rain
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. court — of law

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