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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. firm — a company
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. spring — a coil
  5. firm — decided
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spring — of water
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fine — all right
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spring — the season
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. content — happy
  16. mine — for digging
  17. firm — steady
  18. content — the amount
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fine — high quality

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