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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ground — a position
  9. cap — a hat
  10. march — the month
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. court — of law
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cap — of ice
  18. court — of a king
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bass — the fish
  21. march — music
  22. bass — low music
  23. cap — a lid
  24. court — for sport

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