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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. ball — a dance
  4. firm — decided
  5. object — an aim
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — soda
  8. race — humankind
  9. pop — music
  10. race — a contest
  11. firm — a company
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pop — to visit
  14. object — a thing
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. object — to protest
  18. scale — size or range
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. scale — in music
  23. stand — to bear
  24. arm — a part of something

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