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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. track — a song
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. track — to keep track
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — to handle
  21. game — a match
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. racket — a loud noise

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