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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. club — a group
  3. squash — to crush
  4. club — for dancing
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a dance
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. can — to be able to
  18. scale — in music
  19. club — for golf
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to click

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