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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. ground — crushed
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rash — a series

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