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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. club — for golf
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. staff — a stick
  6. track — to keep track
  7. staff — employees
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mark — a trace
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — a list
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. club — a group
  18. track — a song
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. club — for dancing
  24. roll — a cake

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