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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: ball · cue · hide · court · club · trunk · file · can

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a tool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — for sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — to be able to
  10. club — for dancing
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — of law
  18. club — a group
  19. cue — a hint
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a great time
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — of a king

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