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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. club — a group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. object — an aim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — to protest
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. lie — to recline
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mine — for digging
  13. club — for golf
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. staff — employees
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fine — all right
  19. staff — employees
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. object — a thing
  23. mark — a trace
  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