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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — a group
  4. ball — a dance
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — to protest
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stock — shares
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mug — a cup
  23. last — finally
  24. object — an aim

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