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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a dance
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. race — a contest
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ball — a great time
  13. race — humankind
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. club — for golf
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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