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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. march — the month
  4. club — a group
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. club — for dancing
  7. ball — a great time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — low music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mark — a grade
  19. swing — in golf
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. swing — music
  22. march — music
  23. pit — a hole
  24. club — for golf

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