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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 120 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
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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: club · stick · cell · mouse · rush · season · game · foot

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. season — of the year
  8. game — a match
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cell — in biology
  21. club — a group
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cell — a phone

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