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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
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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: mug · hide · pitcher · date · present · cabinet · ball · rush

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. date — the fruit
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. present — a gift
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. present — there
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mug — a face
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. present — the time now
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — animal skin

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