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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. drill — a practice
  8. file — a line of people
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. file — a document
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. drill — the tool
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rock — music
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — a tool
  24. rock — a stone

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