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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.

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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: spring · mouse · ball · bowl · arm · kid · scale · staff

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. spring — of water
  5. ball — a dance
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. scale — size or range
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. staff — employees
  16. spring — a coil
  17. scale — in music
  18. kid — child
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. ball — a great time
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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