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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — size or range
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — to get on
  8. mate — a friend
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. race — the arms race
  12. board — a committee
  13. snap — to click
  14. ball — a great time
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — in music
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mate — to breed
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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