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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ball — a great time
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. board — to get on
  7. mate — a friend
  8. club — for golf
  9. key — for a lock
  10. fall — to drop
  11. club — a group
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a committee
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ball — a dance
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fall — the season
  19. rash — a series
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — to tease
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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