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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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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 dancing
  3. march — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. club — a group
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rest — what's left
  10. kick — in football
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. foot — a measure
  24. club — for golf

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