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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. club — a group
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bear — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. club — for dancing
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. ball — a great time
  15. chest — of your body
  16. club — for golf
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rock — a stone
  20. can — a tin
  21. chest — a box
  22. net — for catching
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — the animal

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