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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. roll — a cake
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tube — a container
  14. object — to protest
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pitch — completely
  18. object — an aim
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. object — a thing
  22. ball — a great time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tube — the underground

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