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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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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: mate · pop · kid · plane · can · craft · march · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mate — to breed
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. craft — boats
  9. kid — to tease
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — music
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. pop — soda
  15. craft — a skill
  16. march — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. kid — child
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ball — a dance
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mate — a partner

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