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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · club · squash · game · arm · drill · pit · mug

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pit — in a race
  7. wake — a trail
  8. drill — the tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pit — a hole
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. club — for golf
  13. mug — a face
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — for dancing
  21. squash — the sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — a kind of play

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