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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kid — child
  3. present — a gift
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ground — the earth
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. roll — a list
  14. bulb — for light
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — the time now
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ground — crushed

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