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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. band — a music group
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. band — a ring
  7. spring — a coil
  8. fine — all right
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — the season
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fine — high quality

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