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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. net — in sport
  3. club — a group
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chair — a leader
  7. net — for catching
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — soda
  18. rush — hurry
  19. club — for golf
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pop — music
  23. club — for dancing
  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