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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 124 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a dance
  4. race — humankind
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. ball — a great time
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. net — in sport
  13. suit — in cards
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. roll — a list
  20. race — the arms race
  21. roll — a cake
  22. staff — employees
  23. net — after costs
  24. race — a contest

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