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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — a weight
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. charge — in control
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. season — of the year
  12. charge — a price
  13. rash — a series
  14. hand — help
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. ball — a great time
  23. tube — a container
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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