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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. hand — help
  4. object — an aim
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. spell — a short time
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. object — a thing
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. hand — in cards
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitch — completely
  23. object — to protest
  24. ball — a dance

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