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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a hint
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. spring — the season
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ground — a position
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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