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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bass — the fish
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bass — low music
  16. current — of water
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. band — a music group
  19. current — happening now
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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