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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. staff — a stick
  3. foot — a measure
  4. present — a gift
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — there
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. court — of law
  16. court — for sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. court — of a king
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — the time now

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