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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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mate — to breed
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. track — to keep track
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — all right
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a music group
  19. mate — a friend
  20. band — a ring
  21. track — a song
  22. track — a path
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ball — a great time

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