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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ball — a dance
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. club — for dancing
  8. swing — to play on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. club — a group
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. swing — in golf
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — to breed
  16. season — of the year
  17. club — for golf
  18. mate — a friend
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. swing — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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