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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. tube — the underground
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. roll — a list
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — a group
  14. tube — a container
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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