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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — decided
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rash — a series
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — after costs
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — steady
  17. rash — hasty
  18. chest — of your body
  19. drill — army training
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — a practice
  23. net — for catching
  24. rash — on the skin

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