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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. roll — a list
  6. band — a music group
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. ground — a position
  14. band — a ring
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — the time now
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. roll — a cake

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