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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 116 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: bear · bulb · face · saw · ball · can · game · bat

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. game — wild animals
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. face — to confront
  22. ball — a dance
  23. game — a match
  24. face — to point toward

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