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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — in cards
  7. game — wild animals
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. present — a gift
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. present — the time now
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. present — there
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. hand — help
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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