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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · tube · rest · pop · mug · hand · rash · ball

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. mug — a cup
  8. firm — a company
  9. tube — the underground
  10. ball — a dance
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — soda
  13. mug — a face
  14. rest — a break
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — a container
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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