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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. track — a song
  3. object — a thing
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chest — a box
  7. last — to go on
  8. club — for golf
  9. scale — in music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. object — an aim
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spring — of water
  14. chest — of your body
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — the season
  18. last — finally
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. club — a group
  21. track — a path
  22. object — to protest
  23. last — final
  24. spring — a coil

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