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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.

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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: ball · rush · snap · foot · track · bulb · mouse · board

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. track — a song
  8. board — a committee
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. snap — to click
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rush — to hurry

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