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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chip — to eat
  24. perch — for a bird

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