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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: season · ball · bore · bat · march · spell · mate · kick

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — to breed
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — of the year
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. kick — in football
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. march — music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spell — letters
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. march — the month
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — magic
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — in sport

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