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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — a thing
  3. land — a country
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. object — an aim
  8. firm — a company
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. firm — decided
  12. season — in sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — a break
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — steady
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — to protest
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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