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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. club — a group
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. game — wild animals
  7. firm — a company
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. club — for golf
  19. firm — decided
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. firm — steady

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