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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. firm — decided
  6. game — wild animals
  7. firm — a company
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. firm — steady
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — to keep track
  23. file — a document
  24. bay — a horse colour

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