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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bulb — for light
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. game — a match
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. staff — a stick
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. game — wild animals
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. staff — employees
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — a division
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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