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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. march — music
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. shower — rain
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. can — to be able to
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a great time

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