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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — a stick
  3. spell — letters
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. degree — an amount
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fine — high quality
  11. staff — employees
  12. bulb — for light
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. degree — from a university
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fine — all right
  17. spell — a short time
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. degree — temperature
  24. spell — magic

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