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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — in cards
  5. club — for golf
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — a position
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bass — low music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. club — a group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ground — crushed
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. calf — a young animal

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