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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · mug · stick · court · mate · degree · present · drill

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. court — for sport
  3. mug — to rob
  4. present — the time now
  5. degree — from a university
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — a face
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mate — a partner
  13. degree — temperature
  14. drill — army training
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. present — a gift
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a great time
  19. drill — the tool
  20. degree — an amount
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mug — a cup
  24. court — of law

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