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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. firm — steady
  3. bore — to drill
  4. court — of law
  5. firm — decided
  6. toast — bread
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. kick — in football
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a great time
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. row — a line
  20. roll — a cake
  21. row — to paddle
  22. roll — a list
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. kick — with a leg

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