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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. can — a tin
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ball — a round shape

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