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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 124 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. firm — a company
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. craft — boats
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. firm — steady
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a great time
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pound — to hit hard

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