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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — a practice
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cue — for pool
  12. rash — hasty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rock — a stone
  19. drill — army training
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. drill — the tool
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rash — a series

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