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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. game — wild animals
  9. spring — a coil
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a dance
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. ball — a great time
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — a stone
  20. game — a match
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rock — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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