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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ball — a dance
  7. game — a match
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pound — a weight
  18. suit — to fit
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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