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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. march — the month
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a great time
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mate — to breed
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. mate — a friend

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