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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rush — hurry
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. last — final
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. last — to go on
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. root — the cause
  20. last — finally
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — a group

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