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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mate — a friend
  3. key — for a lock
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. key — in music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — for digging
  12. kick — in football
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. firm — decided
  19. deal — to handle
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mine — an explosive

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