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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — all right
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cold — not warm
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cold — an illness
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rash — a series
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. kick — in football
  24. ball — a great time

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