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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. club — a group
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — hurry
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — for dancing
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. club — for golf
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. band — a ring
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. band — a music group
  19. fork — in a road
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — child
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. racket — a loud noise

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