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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: ball · mug · deal · key · clip · rest · ruler · fine

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. clip — for paper
  5. mug — a face
  6. ball — a great time
  7. key — in music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. clip — a video
  10. fine — high quality
  11. deal — to handle
  12. rest — a break
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. key — the most important part
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fine — all right
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — for a lock
  22. ball — a dance
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — to rob

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