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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. toast — bread
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. roll — a cake
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. club — a group
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ball — a dance
  24. club — for dancing

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