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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — wild animals
  3. staff — employees
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bass — the fish
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. game — a match
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. fork — in a road
  14. kick — in football
  15. mark — a trace
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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