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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: pit · file · ball · arm · fall · deal · mouse · kick

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fall — the season
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pit — a hole
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. kick — in football
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ball — a dance
  20. file — a tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fall — to drop
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. file — a document

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