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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spell — magic
  8. fine — all right
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. ball — a great time
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stand — to bear

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