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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a dance
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pop — to visit
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pop — soda
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. hide — to keep secret

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