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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — to visit
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. current — electric
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pop — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ball — a dance
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pop — soda
  19. season — in sport
  20. ball — a great time
  21. season — of the year
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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