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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bat — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a ring
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. ball — a dance
  15. club — for golf
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. charge — a price
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. charge — in control
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. band — a music group

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