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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — in a road
  6. club — a group
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pit — in a race
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. chest — a box
  23. club — for dancing
  24. wave — with your hand

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