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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. deal — to handle
  12. can — a tin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mate — a partner
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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