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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. dip — to sink
  6. lean — to bend
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fine — all right
  13. scale — size or range
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. court — for sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. court — of a king
  19. fine — high quality
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. shower — rain
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of law

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