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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bat — the animal
  3. track — a song
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. suit — to fit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a dance
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. present — a gift
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. present — there
  17. mate — to breed
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. track — a path
  20. ball — a great time
  21. suit — clothes
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. track — to keep track

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