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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. bound — certain
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — music
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. hand — help
  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