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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fork — in a road
  4. land — ground
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. ground — a position
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rush — hurry

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