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

Word bank: deal · mug · object · rush · ball · firm · cell · dip

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — hurry
  5. object — to protest
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cell — a phone
  8. object — an aim
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. deal — to handle
  12. firm — decided
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. object — a thing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. firm — steady
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rush — to hurry

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