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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — for a lock
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ball — a dance
  8. key — the most important part
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. key — in music
  12. present — the time now
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. present — there
  18. chest — of your body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. chest — a box
  24. deal — an agreement

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