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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bass — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. rash — hasty
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rash — a series
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bass — low music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fine — all right
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. fine — high quality

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