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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — to come down
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. club — a group
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. drill — army training
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. drill — a practice

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