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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — electric
  4. ball — a dance
  5. current — happening now
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — a grade
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — of water
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mark — a trace
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ball — a great time

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