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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. club — for golf
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ball — a dance
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitch — completely
  10. club — a group
  11. track — a song
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pop — music
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a path

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