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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. cue — a hint
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. court — of a king
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — for sport
  24. court — of law

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