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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. game — a match
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — boats
  7. bass — low music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ball — a great time
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. kick — in football
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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