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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. drill — a practice
  7. dip — to sink
  8. march — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — the tool
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ball — a dance
  19. drill — army training
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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