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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. rash — hasty
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rash — a series
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — thin
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. track — a song
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. track — a path
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rest — a break
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to rest against

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