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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. last — to go on
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — final
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a great time
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — finally

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