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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. spell — letters
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mate — a partner
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spell — magic
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. shower — rain
  14. spell — a short time
  15. shower — to wash
  16. cue — for pool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. plane — a tool
  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