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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — for golf
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. march — the month
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. club — a group
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ground — a position
  14. march — the month
  15. fine — all right
  16. snap — to click
  17. ball — a dance
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — music
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — crushed
  23. row — a line
  24. march — music

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