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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. row — a line
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. net — after costs
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. squash — the sport
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. deal — to handle
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. net — in sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — to crush
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a great time

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