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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — a friend
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rash — a series
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spell — letters
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spell — magic
  18. dip — a sauce

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