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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — a face
  4. mark — a grade
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bass — low music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mug — a cup
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a trace
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. row — a line

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