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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cell — a phone
  3. object — to protest
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. sharp — clever
  6. object — an aim
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. object — a thing
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rock — a stone
  11. club — for golf
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — in biology
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rock — music
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. club — a group
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. sharp — with an edge

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