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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · wave · pit · rock · bulb · snap

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pit — in a race
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pit — a hole
  18. snap — to click

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