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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. rash — a series
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — the animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rest — a break
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — letters
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. rash — on the skin

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