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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ball — a great time
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rash — a series
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — a break
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — child
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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