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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. firm — a company
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. firm — steady
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hand — help
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — the fish
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. firm — decided
  17. bass — low music
  18. hand — in cards
  19. kick — in football
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — part of the body

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