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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chip — for betting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — the season
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — to crush
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. spring — of water
  24. court — of law

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