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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — finally
  4. band — a music group
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bass — the fish
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. last — to go on
  16. suit — clothes
  17. drill — army training
  18. club — for dancing
  19. band — a ring
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. last — final
  23. suit — in cards
  24. perch — the fish

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