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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. current — electric
  12. ground — the earth
  13. current — of water
  14. ground — a position
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. ground — crushed
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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