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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mate — a friend
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mate — to breed
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mate — a partner
  17. file — a tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for golf
  21. ball — a great time
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pitch — completely

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