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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — steady
  4. suit — clothes
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. squash — the sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. firm — a company
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cell — a phone
  15. net — in sport
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — for catching
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cell — in biology
  22. suit — in cards
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. net — after costs

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