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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — after costs
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. net — for catching
  6. rash — hasty
  7. suit — clothes
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. club — for dancing
  10. charge — a price
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. club — for golf
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — in sport
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ball — a dance

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