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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 120 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. rash — a series
  3. shower — rain
  4. land — to come down
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rock — a stone
  11. shower — to wash
  12. land — a country
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rock — music
  22. craft — boats
  23. pitch — completely
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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