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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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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. spell — letters
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. charge — electricity
  8. spell — magic
  9. mark — a grade
  10. charge — a price
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. charge — in control
  15. mark — a trace
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic

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