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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ball — a dance
  3. craft — a skill
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kid — child
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rush — hurry
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. press — to push
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. craft — boats
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. press — newspapers
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a trace

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