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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. can — a tin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ball — a dance
  5. board — a committee
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spring — of water
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — the season
  16. board — to get on
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ball — a great time

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