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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — low music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wind — moving air
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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