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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ball — a dance
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. kid — child
  6. season — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. season — of the year
  10. net — in sport
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. craft — a skill
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ball — a great time
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. net — after costs

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