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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. club — for dancing
  5. net — after costs
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. net — for catching
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. club — a group
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bass — the fish
  22. season — in sport
  23. bass — low music
  24. season — of the year

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