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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — the time now
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pit — a hole
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — there
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bass — the fish
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. roll — a list
  17. bass — low music
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — a division
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. present — a gift

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