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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mug — to rob
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. toast — bread
  8. march — the month
  9. cold — an illness
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. ball — a dance
  13. can — a tin
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a great time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. mug — a cup
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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