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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bulb — for light
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bulb — for light
  16. key — in music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mouse — the animal

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