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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ball — a great time
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. kid — child
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — hurry
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. scale — size or range
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. kick — in football
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. scale — in music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kid — to tease
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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