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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: last · mate · firm · current · date · bowl · court · ball

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. firm — a company
  5. ball — a dance
  6. court — of law
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. firm — decided
  9. last — final
  10. mate — to breed
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. ball — a great time
  14. last — to go on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. last — finally
  20. date — the fruit
  21. current — of water
  22. firm — steady
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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