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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. club — a group
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. court — of a king
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. court — for sport
  21. bat — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bat — in an idiom

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