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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. net — in sport
  4. firm — decided
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pop — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kid — child
  13. firm — steady
  14. net — for catching
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — after costs
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. firm — a company
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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