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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mug — a face
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. spell — magic
  6. mug — a cup
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pass — a permit
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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