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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mug — a cup
  4. club — a group
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spell — a short time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. game — a match
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — to rob
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — a face
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. spell — letters
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chair — a leader

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