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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. mark — a trace
  3. club — a group
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. court — of law
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the fish
  8. court — of a king
  9. hand — help
  10. bass — low music
  11. chair — a leader
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lie — to recline
  20. club — for golf
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. court — for sport
  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