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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a dance
  5. drill — a practice
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. present — there
  8. fine — all right
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a great time
  14. chest — a box
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — army training
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitch — a sports field

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