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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hand — help
  3. dip — to sink
  4. can — a tin
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. ball — a great time
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. can — to be able to
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. can — a tin

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