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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — to be able to
  5. root — the cause
  6. kid — child
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. ball — a dance
  9. squash — the sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. root — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. club — for golf
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. root — of a word
  18. squash — to crush
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. squash — the vegetable

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