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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — to bend
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. club — for golf
  11. fine — all right
  12. club — a group
  13. wound — an injury
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. charge — a price
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. charge — in control
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. track — a path
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — thin

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