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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bore — to tire
  6. game — a match
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — wild animals
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. content — the amount
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mark — a trace
  24. content — happy

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