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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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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 · object · kid · bowl · mouse · snap · ball · pop

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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 round shape
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kid — child
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. object — an aim
  12. pop — soda
  13. object — a thing
  14. pop — music
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  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