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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rock — a stone
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rock — music
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — of law
  12. chip — to eat
  13. court — for sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ground — a position
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. club — for golf
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chip — for betting
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. club — a group

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