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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mate — to breed
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stand — to bear
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pop — music
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. last — finally
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pop — soda
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. ball — a dance

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