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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to sink
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. club — a group
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lean — to bend
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — a permit
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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