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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. club — a group
  3. bass — low music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pass — a permit
  9. kid — to tease
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bass — the fish
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. capital — money
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. capital — a city
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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