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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. date — the fruit
  8. club — for dancing
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ball — a great time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. land — a country
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — all right
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. club — a group
  18. land — to come down
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — ground
  23. fine — high quality
  24. safe — out of danger

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