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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — for dancing
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — in music
  8. club — a group
  9. pit — a hole
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — for golf
  12. pit — in a race
  13. craft — a skill
  14. track — to keep track
  15. court — of a king
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — for sport
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — of law
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bowl — to roll

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