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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — a path
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. game — wild animals
  11. object — to protest
  12. club — for dancing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — an aim
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — a thing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. ground — a position
  24. game — a match

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