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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. craft — boats
  3. club — a group
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for golf
  7. ground — a position
  8. track — a song
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ground — the earth
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. track — a path
  21. ball — a great time
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stock — a soup base

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