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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — a group
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. kick — in football
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — all right
  16. game — a match
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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