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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a song
  4. pop — music
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — child
  8. pop — to visit
  9. game — a match
  10. spring — a coil
  11. kick — in football
  12. spring — the season
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pop — soda
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. can — to be able to

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