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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. net — in sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. date — the fruit
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a document
  13. can — a tin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. file — a tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. net — for catching
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. net — after costs
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. file — a line of people

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