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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mug — a face
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. present — a gift
  11. game — wild animals
  12. club — a group
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — there
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. present — the time now
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. game — a match
  24. club — for dancing

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