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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. date — the fruit
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wave — of the sea
  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