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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mate — to breed
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. track — a song
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitch — completely
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. snap — to click
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stock — goods
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. track — to keep track

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