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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fall — to drop
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. fall — the season
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. current — of water
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. current — electric
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — for golf
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a great time
  20. current — happening now
  21. club — a group
  22. date — the fruit
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pound — to hit hard

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