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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — a trail
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — for golf
  11. field — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mark — a grade
  14. field — a subject
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rock — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — of the year
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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