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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — to rob
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — for golf
  6. mug — a cup
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — a face
  9. field — farmland
  10. land — to come down
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. land — a country
  16. pop — soda
  17. land — ground
  18. squash — the sport
  19. club — a group
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pop — music

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