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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · kid · spell · rock · mouse · mark · pitch · straw

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rock — music
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitch — completely
  14. spell — letters
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a dance
  20. kid — child
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — the animal

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