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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. pop — music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spell — letters
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — soda
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a hole

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