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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: racket · mine · chest · march · band · club · calf · dip

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — a box
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. march — music
  11. band — a music group
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. dip — to sink
  22. club — a group
  23. band — a ring
  24. club — for golf

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