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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — a friend
  7. scale — in music
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mate — a partner
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — for light
  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