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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 124 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mine — for digging
  5. charge — in control
  6. track — a path
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. hide — to keep secret

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