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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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pit — in a race
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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