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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: deal · bay · rash · bound · ball · bat · mate · snap

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bound — certain
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bat — the animal
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. snap — to click
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ball — a round shape

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