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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ball — a dance
  3. firm — a company
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cell — in biology
  7. firm — decided
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rash — a series
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. squash — to crush
  15. firm — steady
  16. cell — a phone
  17. squash — the sport
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — a measure

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