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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a great time
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. spell — letters
  8. scale — in music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — a container
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. spell — magic
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — of a plant

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