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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. net — for catching
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. track — a song
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bulb — for light
  21. net — in sport
  22. rock — music
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bear — the 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