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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — there
  4. hand — help
  5. roll — a list
  6. can — a tin
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a great time
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — in music
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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