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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. present — a gift
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. present — there
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. court — for sport
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — a company
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ball — a dance

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