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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · mate · swing · bowl · stick · ball · lie · club

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. club — for dancing
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. swing — to play on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mate — a partner
  15. swing — music
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. club — a group
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. club — for golf
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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