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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — in a race
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. spell — letters
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. degree — an amount
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. degree — from a university
  16. spell — magic
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spell — a short time

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