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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pop — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. firm — steady
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rash — hasty
  9. firm — decided
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. pop — soda
  14. rash — a series
  15. hand — in cards
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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