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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. rash — a series
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. club — for golf
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stem — to come from
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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