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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. present — the time now
  5. row — to paddle
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. club — for dancing
  9. present — a gift
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. row — a line
  24. present — there

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