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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. staff — employees
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. pit — in a race
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ball — a dance
  18. pop — soda
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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