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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. branch — a division
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — a hole
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. club — a group
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. club — for golf
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — of the year
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. club — for dancing

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