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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — a series
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. calf — a young animal

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