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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a list
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. mark — a trace
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. snap — to click
  24. ball — a dance

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