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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ball — a great time
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a music group
  5. kid — child
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a ring
  13. roll — a cake
  14. key — for a lock
  15. roll — a list
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. club — for dancing
  24. key — in music

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