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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. field — for sport
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. field — farmland
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. firm — steady
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chip — to eat
  22. field — a subject
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wound — an injury

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