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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 120 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: mark · mate · ball · mouse · kid · bat · wave · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ball — a dance
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mate — a partner
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kid — child
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. tube — the underground

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