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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. club — a group
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. club — for dancing
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. club — for golf
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — of a tree

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