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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pitch — completely
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — a tin
  11. chest — a box
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. march — music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. march — the month
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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