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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. spell — letters
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a dance
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. court — of law
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — magic
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. court — of a king

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