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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — the sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. foot — a measure
  7. present — there
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — part of the head
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. pop — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pop — to visit
  18. deal — to handle
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — a gift
  21. ball — a dance
  22. face — to point toward
  23. bore — to tire
  24. foot — part of the body

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