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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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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — hurry
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. march — the month
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pop — soda

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