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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. club — a group
  5. ball — a great time
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ball — a dance
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rock — music
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — a stone
  15. club — for golf
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — of law

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