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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
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: roll · fan · wake · ball · bulb · pitcher · capital · mouse

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. capital — a city
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. roll — a cake
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. roll — a list
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. ball — a great time

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