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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. tube — a container
  4. present — a gift
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — music
  7. club — for golf
  8. ball — a great time
  9. present — there
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ground — a position
  13. club — for dancing
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. rash — hasty
  16. present — the time now
  17. ground — crushed
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rock — a stone
  24. tube — in a tire

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