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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. staff — employees
  13. spell — magic
  14. staff — employees
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. club — a group
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a path
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a great time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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