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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. file — a document
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. stem — to come from
  8. game — wild animals
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. file — a line of people
  11. season — of the year
  12. firm — steady
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — after costs
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. game — a match
  24. calf — of the leg

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