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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. present — the time now
  12. mate — a friend
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — to crush
  15. suit — to fit
  16. present — a gift
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. scale — in music
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. present — there

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