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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. kid — child
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mug — a cup
  15. object — to protest
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. object — an aim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — to tease
  21. game — a match
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mug — to rob

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