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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: hand · calf · spell · mug · bass · bear · club · date

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. spell — letters
  5. club — a group
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — low music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bass — the fish
  16. hand — in cards
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spell — magic
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — help
  23. club — for golf
  24. mug — to rob

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