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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitch — completely
  3. toast — bread
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a dance
  6. firm — decided
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. clip — to cut
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. clip — for paper
  14. firm — steady
  15. clip — a video
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a great time
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. wind — moving air
  23. firm — a company
  24. wind — to turn a key

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