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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. firm — decided
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. cold — not warm
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tube — the underground
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — a container
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fine — all right
  12. cold — an illness
  13. firm — a company
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. roll — a list
  18. firm — steady
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. roll — a cake
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fine — high quality

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