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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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 great time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mate — a friend
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bank — for money
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pit — a hole
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bowl — a dish
  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