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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for golf
  6. court — of law
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — for sport
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. club — a group
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fine — all right
  21. court — for sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — farmland
  24. trunk — of a car

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