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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.

Make a worksheet

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: jam · sharp · racket · perch · cold · bowl · ball · can

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ball — a great time
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cold — not warm
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. can — a tin

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