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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. club — a group
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ball — a dance
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ball — a great time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. club — for dancing
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — clever
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. club — for golf
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fine — all right
  18. sharp — exactly

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