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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. hand — help
  6. bore — to tire
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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