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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · game · club · track · ball · arm · coach · face

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. game — a match
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. face — to point toward
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ball — a great time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. track — a song
  23. game — wild animals
  24. face — to confront

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