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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fine — all right
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. court — of law
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ball — a dance
  16. court — of a king
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — a hint

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