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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — a practice
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — to tease
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of law
  8. cue — a hint
  9. kid — child
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the sport
  16. ball — a great time
  17. drill — army training
  18. court — of a king
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. court — for sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. drill — the tool

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