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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
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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. game — a match
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. game — wild animals
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. scale — in music
  9. key — in music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. key — for a lock
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. scale — size or range

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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