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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. board — a committee
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. file — a document
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — the animal
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — to breed
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. mate — a partner
  17. board — to get on
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. file — a line of people
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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