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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. swing — music
  4. date — the fruit
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. club — a group
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — to play on
  13. land — to come down
  14. net — for catching
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — ground
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. swing — in golf
  20. land — a country
  21. net — after costs
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. club — for golf
  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