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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: bat · saw · foot · racket · bulb · squash · ball · fan

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. squash — to crush
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bulb — for light
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bat — for baseball

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