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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. deal — to handle
  3. club — for dancing
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. stock — goods
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. club — for golf
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wax — to grow
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. stock — shares
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wax — in the ear

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