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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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. firm — a company
  6. ball — a dance
  7. court — of law
  8. clip — for paper
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. firm — steady
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. clip — to cut
  14. court — of a king
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. clip — a video
  23. court — for sport
  24. net — for catching

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