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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. spring — of water
  16. file — a document
  17. club — a group
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spring — the season
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mark — a grade

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