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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. current — happening now
  4. mine — for digging
  5. net — in sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. current — of water
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. net — after costs
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — for catching
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mouse — for a computer

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