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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spring — a coil
  5. club — a group
  6. game — wild animals
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spring — the season
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spring — of water
  16. club — for golf
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. rush — hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — electric
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — for dancing

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