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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. suit — clothes
  3. last — finally
  4. band — a ring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — final
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — to go on
  9. suit — in cards
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. prune — to trim
  14. band — a music group
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. arm — a part of something

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