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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — magic
  4. game — a match
  5. firm — decided
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — clothes
  10. kid — child
  11. bank — for money
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — steady
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ball — a great time
  19. spell — letters
  20. suit — in cards
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bank — of a river
  23. game — a kind of play
  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