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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rash — a series
  10. cue — for pool
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cue — a hint
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cue — a signal

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