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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: net · ball · game · court · shower · pound · staff · bulb

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. staff — a stick
  5. shower — to wash
  6. court — of a king
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a great time
  10. shower — rain
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — of law
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — for catching
  23. game — wild animals
  24. court — for sport

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