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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — the animal
  5. court — of a king
  6. club — for dancing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. firm — decided
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a great time
  11. firm — a company
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stand — to bear
  14. club — for golf
  15. mine — for digging
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. firm — steady
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. ball — a round shape

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