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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — to tire
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. game — a match
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bore — to drill
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ball — a dance
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — music
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bore — gave birth

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