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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. club — for golf
  5. ball — a dance
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. tube — a container
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. squash — to crush
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. club — a group
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tube — in a tire

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