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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kid — to tease
  8. band — a ring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — a country
  15. band — a music group
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bass — low music
  22. land — to come down
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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