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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: object · firm · saw · kid · ball · net · leaves · stick

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ball — a great time
  3. net — after costs
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kid — child
  9. object — to protest
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. object — a thing
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. net — for catching
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. firm — steady
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — in sport
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. kid — to tease
  21. firm — a company
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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