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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. game — wild animals
  5. rule — government
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a path
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. land — a country
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. land — to come down
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. track — a song
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. land — ground
  24. bear — the animal

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