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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mug — a face
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spring — the season
  9. mug — a cup
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. net — in sport
  12. mate — to breed
  13. net — after costs
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. ball — a dance
  17. net — for catching
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spring — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a great time

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