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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · stand · roll · club · arm · date

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. roll — a list
  3. stand — to bear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. club — for dancing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. club — for golf
  11. mug — to rob
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mug — a face
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. roll — a cake
  18. arm — a part of something

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