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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rush — hurry
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. can — to be able to
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — a series
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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