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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cue — a hint
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. spring — the season
  9. fine — all right
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rash — a series
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — a coil
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. scale — in music
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — of water
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fine — high quality
  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