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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. game — a match
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mate — a friend
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mug — to rob
  18. game — wild animals
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bowl — to roll

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