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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. kid — child
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a dance
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. staff — a stick
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — to tease
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — employees

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