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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.

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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kick — in football
  6. bound — obliged
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. toast — bread
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — an amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — a thrill

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