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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  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. firm — decided
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. net — in sport
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chest — a box
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — a company
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. craft — boats
  17. net — for catching
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. firm — steady
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cue — a hint
  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