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

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ball — a great time
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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