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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. lean — to bend
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pit — a hole
  10. court — for sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. spell — magic
  13. lean — thin
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. court — of law
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mate — a partner
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — the animal

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