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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ball — a great time
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. craft — boats
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. key — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. craft — a skill
  20. key — for a lock
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. club — a group
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitch — completely

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