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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 116 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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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: ball · key · saw · game · squash · bulb · snap · mark

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bulb — for light
  8. squash — the sport
  9. saw — the tool
  10. game — wild animals
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mark — a grade
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. game — a match
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. snap — to click

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