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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: pit · deal · mark · ball · bulb · kick · rash · bowl

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rash — hasty
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — for light

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