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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. club — for dancing
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. club — for golf
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. scale — size or range
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. scale — in music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. club — a group
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — a thrill

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