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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. fork — in a road
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. arm — part of the body

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