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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. court — for sport
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fan — a supporter

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