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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.

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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. toast — bread
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — a practice
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pound — a weight
  12. date — the fruit
  13. drill — army training
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. drill — the tool
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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