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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — a trace
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wind — moving air
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pop — soda
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mark — a grade
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pop — to visit
  21. club — a group
  22. pop — music
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a great time

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