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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 120 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: mine · rock · snap · perch · court · ball · wake · game

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. court — of a king
  3. ball — a great time
  4. court — for sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rock — a stone
  9. snap — to click
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. perch — the fish
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ball — a dance
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. game — a match
  19. rock — music
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mine — for digging
  22. court — of law
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rock — to move gently

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