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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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468
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: net · bulb · present · wake · ball · fan · rock · chair

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a great time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — the time now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. bulb — for light
  8. net — in sport
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a leader
  16. present — a gift
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — there
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rock — a stone

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