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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rest — a break
  3. suit — clothes
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. suit — in cards
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. board — a committee
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ball — a great time
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ground — the earth

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