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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. can — a tin
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — for sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — to be able to
  21. court — of a king
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. court — of law
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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