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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. game — a match
  3. pop — music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — the season
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. fork — in a road
  15. game — wild animals
  16. charge — in control
  17. drill — the tool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — of water
  20. pop — soda
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. charge — electricity
  23. drill — army training
  24. bulb — for light

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