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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. roll — a cake
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a dance
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. tear — to rip
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. staff — employees
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chip — for betting
  15. row — to paddle
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — crushed
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. roll — a list
  21. ground — a position
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ground — the earth
  24. staff — a stick

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