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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spring — of water
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spring — a coil
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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