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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 116 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — the tool
  8. firm — steady
  9. suit — in cards
  10. degree — from a university
  11. drill — army training
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. club — a group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. club — for golf
  16. degree — temperature
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. firm — a company
  24. drill — a practice

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