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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bear — the animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. season — of the year
  11. ball — a great time
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ball — a dance

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