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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. root — the cause
  5. mate — to breed
  6. band — a music group
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — a skill
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mate — a partner
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bound — certain
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. root — of a word
  16. craft — boats
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — a friend
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — tied together
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. band — a ring
  24. bound — obliged

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