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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.

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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a tool
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cue — a signal
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. file — a document
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — a song
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. file — a line of people
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cue — a hint

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