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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cue — a hint
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — a group
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. club — for golf
  24. pit — in a race

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