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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. band — a ring
  5. ground — the earth
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. club — for dancing
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ground — a position
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mark — a trace
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rock — music
  24. mark — a grade

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