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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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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. roll — a list
  3. court — of law
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. court — of a king
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. court — for sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rash — a series
  18. shower — rain
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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