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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. last — final
  9. squash — to crush
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — to go on
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. last — finally

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