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

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rock — a stone
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. club — a group
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spell — letters
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. spell — magic
  11. bat — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rock — music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. spell — a short time
  17. club — for golf
  18. safe — out of danger

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