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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. club — for golf
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — a country
  8. ball — a great time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — ground
  11. cell — in biology
  12. land — to come down
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bank — for money
  16. club — a group
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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