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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.

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: pop · bulb · ball · saw · mouse · spell · racket · last

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — soda
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. ball — a dance
  8. last — finally
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ball — a great time
  15. spell — magic
  16. pop — music
  17. last — final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. last — to go on
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pop — to visit

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