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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. file — a document
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a great time
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ball — a dance
  13. file — a tool
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bank — for money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — a friend
  22. club — a group
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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