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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. club — for dancing
  4. content — happy
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. content — the amount
  8. club — for golf
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — a break
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. rest — what's left

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