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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 116 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: mouse · land · spell · club · pit · calf · mine · pop

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. land — ground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — to visit
  12. club — for golf
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pit — a hole
  20. land — a country
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pop — 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