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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. capital — money
  7. craft — boats
  8. object — an aim
  9. craft — a skill
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. deal — to handle
  13. capital — a city
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug

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