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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ball — a great time
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. club — a group
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. suit — to fit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — to handle
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. spell — magic
  21. cell — in biology
  22. suit — clothes
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. suit — in cards

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