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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. key — in music
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ball — a dance
  7. file — a tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. object — a thing
  11. firm — steady
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spell — letters
  16. firm — decided
  17. file — a document
  18. key — for a lock
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — a division
  23. object — to protest
  24. spell — magic

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