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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hand — help
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rash — hasty

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