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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bank — for money
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. row — a line
  8. rash — a series
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bank — for money
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bank — of a river

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