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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. drill — army training
  8. ball — a great time
  9. march — the month
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — the month
  22. drill — the tool
  23. march — music
  24. bowl — a football final

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