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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a match
  8. mate — a partner
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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