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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a dance
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ball — a great time
  9. staff — employees
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bass — low music
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tear — from crying
  15. staff — a stick
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. firm — decided
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. firm — a company
  22. tear — from crying
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — to crush

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