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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pop — to visit
  4. object — an aim
  5. staff — employees
  6. pop — music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mug — a face
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — a thing
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mug — a cup
  16. foot — a measure
  17. object — to protest
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — to breed
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cold — an illness
  22. ball — a dance
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mug — to rob

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