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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.

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: row · drill · ball · pit · kid · staff · leaves · bulb

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — a stick
  5. row — a line
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kid — to tease
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. pit — a hole
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ball — a great time
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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