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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — a position
  4. net — for catching
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — magic
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ground — the earth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. scale — in music
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. scale — for weighing

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