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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. drill — army training
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spring — the season
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. spring — a coil
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — for golf
  18. drill — the tool
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spring — of water
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. club — a group
  24. coach — a trainer

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