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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pop — soda
  5. club — a group
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. club — for golf
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ground — crushed
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pop — to visit
  13. ground — a position
  14. pop — music
  15. file — a tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rest — a break
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a document
  24. racket — for tennis

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