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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the sport
  6. present — the time now
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — the month
  17. season — in sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. present — there
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. march — music
  24. present — a gift

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