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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spring — the season
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spring — of water
  6. firm — a company
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pitch — completely
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — steady
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. firm — decided
  17. spring — a coil
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. content — the amount
  23. can — a tin
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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