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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. pit — a hole
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. squash — the sport
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. squash — to crush
  14. club — for golf
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bass — low music
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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