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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — a stone
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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