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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. object — to protest
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mate — to breed
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. object — an aim
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. object — a thing
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ball — a great time

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