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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. ball — a great time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — a stone
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. season — of the year
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  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