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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. firm — a company
  8. fine — all right
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pop — to visit
  12. firm — steady
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pop — soda
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mark — a trace
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — the season
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — of water
  22. pop — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a round shape

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