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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cold — an illness
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. cold — not warm
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a dance
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. club — for golf
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — the sport
  17. club — a group
  18. rock — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. suit — in cards
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fan — a supporter

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