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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. chip — to eat
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. ball — a dance
  16. scale — size or range
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. patient — a sick person

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