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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. firm — a company
  6. rock — a stone
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — part of the head
  10. club — for golf
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. face — to confront
  15. ball — a dance
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rock — music
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. face — to point toward
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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