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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pop — music
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. ball — a dance
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hand — help
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — bread
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bore — to tire
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ball — a round shape

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