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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. club — for golf
  3. field — a subject
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. track — a song
  7. shower — rain
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. field — farmland
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. shower — to wash
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ball — a great time
  16. club — a group
  17. bound — obliged
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. field — for sport
  21. firm — a company
  22. club — for dancing
  23. track — a path
  24. temple — side of the head

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