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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 116 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ball — a great time
  3. club — for golf
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — a law
  6. firm — a company
  7. track — a path
  8. bat — the animal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a dance
  13. degree — from a university
  14. craft — a skill
  15. track — a song
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. craft — boats
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. firm — steady
  24. ball — a round shape

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