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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: saw · present · mug · cap · deal · bark · club · racket

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — a lid
  7. present — the time now
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. present — there
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bark — of a tree

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