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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. last — final
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. mark — a grade
  9. last — to go on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. last — finally
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. race — humankind
  17. fine — high quality
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. club — for golf
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. ball — a dance
  22. fine — all right
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mark — a trace

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