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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 120 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. game — wild animals
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. game — a match
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. march — the month
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. march — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for dancing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bound — certain
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. club — a group

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