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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bass — the fish
  11. deal — to handle
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chest — of your body
  16. ball — a great time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bass — low music
  19. pop — soda
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pop — music
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bass — the instrument

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