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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: row · band · ball · firm · rush · fine · deal · foot

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. band — a music group
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ball — a great time
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. band — a ring
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. row — a line
  15. firm — a company
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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