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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. file — a tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — a group
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. file — a document
  19. club — for golf
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — of law
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. court — for sport
  24. jam — in traffic

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