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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. object — to protest
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. charge — a price
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. object — a thing
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bulb — for light
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. object — an aim
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — a garden tool

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