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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 120 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bound — tied together
  9. key — the most important part
  10. row — to paddle
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. row — a line
  15. rash — a series
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chip — to eat
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bound — certain
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. ball — a great time

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