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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. date — the fruit
  5. object — to protest
  6. march — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. fork — in a road
  14. scale — in music
  15. march — the month
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. scale — size or range
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — the month
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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