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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: chest · club · perch · pop · wave · mug · deal · file

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mug — a cup
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mug — to rob
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. file — a tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — a face
  15. chest — a box
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — with your hand

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