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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. land — a country
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. craft — boats
  13. land — to come down
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. firm — steady
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — of ice
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cap — a lid

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