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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 116 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: rash · bat · deal · drill · march · cue · mouse · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. rash — hasty
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. drill — army training
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. rash — a series
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rash — on the 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