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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. object — to protest
  9. ball — a great time
  10. land — a country
  11. pass — a permit
  12. club — a group
  13. craft — boats
  14. club — for golf
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. object — an aim
  22. bear — the animal
  23. object — a thing
  24. land — to come down

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