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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. foot — a measure
  8. court — of a king
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. court — for sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ball — a dance
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fine — all right
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. deal — to handle
  24. club — for golf

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