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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 112 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. club — a group
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. club — for golf
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. club — for dancing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish

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