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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 124 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 · ball · mark · pit · bulb · roll · chip · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spring — of water
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. spring — a coil
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spring — the season
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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