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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — for sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. court — of a king
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. file — a tool
  11. club — for dancing
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. ball — a dance
  15. toast — bread
  16. file — a document
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. court — of law
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. ball — a great time
  24. jam — in traffic

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