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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: club · cabinet · mug · pass · perch · wound · stick · mine

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mug — a face
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mug — a cup
  23. club — a group
  24. wound — an injury

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