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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kid — to tease
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. scale — in music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kid — child
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ball — a great time
  17. staff — a stick
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to drill
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. staff — employees
  24. ball — a dance

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