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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mark — a trace
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mark — a grade
  18. season — in sport
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cap — a hat
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mark — to pay attention

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