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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a dance
  8. chest — a box
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. charge — a price
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — a thing
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rock — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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