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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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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: bay · roll · pit · ball · chest · cue · deal · bowl

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. roll — a list
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — to handle
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pit — in a race
  24. ball — a round shape

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