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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ground — a position
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. stand — to bear
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. stand — on your feet

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