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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 116 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. squash — to crush
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for golf
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a hat
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. charge — in control
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. track — a song
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. track — a path
  18. club — for dancing
  19. charge — a price
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cap — a lid
  22. squash — the sport
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fall — the season

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