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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — a match
  3. staff — employees
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. game — wild animals
  6. file — a document
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rule — government
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. staff — a stick
  20. file — a tool
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — in football
  24. bass — low music

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