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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — for sport
  5. roll — a list
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — a country
  22. court — of a king
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. snap — to click

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