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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pit — a hole
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. present — the time now
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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