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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pop — music
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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