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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ball — a dance
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — a short time
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spell — letters
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. scale — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. scale — size or range
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. spell — magic
  22. firm — a company
  23. court — of law
  24. foot — part of the body

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