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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rock — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fine — all right
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rock — a stone
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wake — a trail
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tube — a container

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