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

Word bank: chest · fork · clip · ball · rash · deal · firm · racket

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. fork — in a road
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. clip — a video
  13. chest — a box
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — a series
  16. firm — a company
  17. ball — a dance
  18. firm — steady
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. clip — for paper
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — decided

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