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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. ball — a round shape
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ball — a dance
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. toast — bread
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — army training
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. drill — a practice
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  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