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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — a law
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — to rule out

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