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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. game — a match
  7. suit — to fit
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. game — wild animals
  11. craft — boats
  12. hand — help
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kid — child
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. suit — clothes
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. toast — bread
  24. game — a kind of play

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