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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. last — final
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — to go on
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. spell — magic
  24. foot — part of the body

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