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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pound — a weight
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. present — there
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — a gift
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — a container
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — a partner
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — to tease
  17. current — of water
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — to breed
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. current — electric
  24. kid — child

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