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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. net — in sport
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. chair — a leader
  6. net — for catching
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ball — a dance
  11. club — for golf
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — for dancing
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. charge — a price
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — after costs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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