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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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 dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — the tool
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fall — the season
  11. drill — army training
  12. chip — to eat
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fall — to drop
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. club — for golf
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. press — newspapers
  24. club — a group

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