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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: bay · ball · scale · spring · deal · tube · bowl · fan

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. scale — in music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — the season
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ball — a dance
  9. tube — the underground
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — a container
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. spring — of water
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. fan — to cool the air

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