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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ground — a position
  3. cue — for pool
  4. suit — in cards
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bore — to tire
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ball — a great time
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spring — of water
  14. bore — to drill
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rash — a series

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