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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. firm — a company
  5. bass — low music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. staff — a stick
  11. firm — steady
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — the fish
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — a hole
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rash — hasty
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kid — child
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — decided

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