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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. squash — to crush
  3. staff — employees
  4. club — for dancing
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — a stick
  7. firm — a company
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. degree — from a university
  15. squash — the sport
  16. club — a group
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — all right
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. perch — the fish

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