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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bass — low music
  9. spell — a short time
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. face — to confront
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bass — the fish
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — a tool
  22. face — part of the head
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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