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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — in sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ball — a great time
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. march — the month
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mate — a partner
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. march — the month
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. press — to push
  24. mate — a friend

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