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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ball — a great time
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rash — a series
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rash — hasty
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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