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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: ball · game · pit · pop · bear · chair · snap · spell

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. spell — letters
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pop — music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pit — a hole
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. game — a match

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