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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bark — to shout
  6. last — finally
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. last — to go on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. last — final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — a trace
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mark — a grade
  23. club — a group
  24. wake — before a funeral

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