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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. net — after costs
  7. ground — the earth
  8. spell — letters
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ground — a position
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. spell — magic
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pop — soda
  17. scale — size or range
  18. net — for catching
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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