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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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Word bank
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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ball — a great time
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fine — high quality
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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