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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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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: bear · fall · court · fan · nail · ball · scale · bowl

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. court — for sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ball — a dance
  13. court — of law
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fall — the season
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — of a king
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bowl — to roll

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