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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. court — of a king
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. ball — a dance
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ball — a great time
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. firm — decided
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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