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

Word bank: nail · dip · ruler · deal · mug · perch · cold · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. perch — the fish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cold — not warm
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cold — an illness
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — a group
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — an agreement
  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