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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mate — a partner
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cue — a hint
  11. club — a group
  12. mate — a friend
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ball — a dance
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cue — a signal
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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