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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. squash — the sport
  7. tube — a container
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ball — a great time
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rest — a break
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rest — what's left
  22. present — a gift
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. squash — the vegetable

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