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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kid — to tease
  4. track — a path
  5. ball — a great time
  6. board — to get on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kid — child
  9. last — finally
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. dip — to sink
  23. last — final
  24. ball — a dance

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