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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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 — to breed
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fine — all right
  5. current — electric
  6. content — happy
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. current — of water
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — to recline
  13. mate — a partner
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. current — happening now
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. content — the amount
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  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