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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: rock · game · bat · staff · fan · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. staff — employees
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — employees
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a match
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — music

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