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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. club — a group
  6. capital — money
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — for sport
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. club — for dancing
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. capital — a city
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — farmland

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