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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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Word bank
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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: club · hide · mate · mark · dip · scale · coach · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mark — a trace
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. club — for golf
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — a grade
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. dip — to sink
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — a group
  22. scale — in music
  23. ball — a great time
  24. club — for dancing

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