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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. last — final
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. charge — a price
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. last — finally
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. charge — electricity
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. rule — government
  16. charge — in control
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — for a hammer

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