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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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468
Word bank
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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. drill — the tool
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fine — all right
  17. charge — in control
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. charge — a price
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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