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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. field — for sport
  3. suit — clothes
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — for golf
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. field — a subject
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. club — a group
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mate — to breed
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. field — farmland
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — in cards

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