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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. club — for golf
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. club — a group
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bound — certain
  24. wound — an injury

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