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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. file — a tool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. land — ground
  5. mark — a grade
  6. file — a line of people
  7. club — for dancing
  8. file — a document
  9. mate — to breed
  10. club — a group
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. mate — a friend
  17. land — a country
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. land — to come down
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pitcher — a jug

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