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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. object — a thing
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mine — for digging
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. board — a committee

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