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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pop — to visit
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pop — soda
  12. drill — army training
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cap — a lid
  15. pop — music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cap — a hat
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fan — a supporter

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