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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. charge — in control
  3. club — a group
  4. field — farmland
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a dance
  7. club — for dancing
  8. file — a document
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — completely
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — the season
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a line of people
  17. ball — a great time
  18. charge — a price
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. fall — to drop
  24. file — a tool

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