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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: bear · deal · firm · ball · kick · tear · key · band

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. firm — decided
  4. key — in music
  5. ball — a dance
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a music group
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bear — the animal
  11. key — for a lock
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ball — a great time
  19. tear — to rip
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. firm — steady

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