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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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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 · bark · racket · fine · pit · toast · club · lean

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. club — a group
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fine — all right
  15. pit — a hole
  16. club — for dancing
  17. toast — bread
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lean — thin

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