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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mate — to breed
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pass — a permit
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mate — a partner
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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