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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — steady
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bore — to drill
  11. court — of a king
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. firm — decided
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. last — to go on
  17. ball — a dance
  18. craft — a skill
  19. last — finally
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. last — final
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — music

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