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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mug — to rob
  6. shower — rain
  7. ball — a dance
  8. shower — to wash
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. net — for catching
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — after costs
  14. mug — a face
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mug — a cup
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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