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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — the sport
  4. net — in sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. cap — a hat
  7. net — after costs
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. charge — a price
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — electricity
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — to tire
  24. charge — in control

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