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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. club — for golf
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. club — a group
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — wild animals
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — a match
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chip — to eat
  22. perch — the fish
  23. club — for dancing
  24. game — a kind of play

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