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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 · club · cell · dip · nail · pound · perch · bass

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pound — a weight
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bass — the fish
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mug — a cup
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. mug — to rob
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cell — in biology
  18. club — for dancing
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mug — a face
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — for golf
  24. bass — low music

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