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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. deal — to handle
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bulb — for light
  6. land — to come down
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — ground
  13. season — of the year
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bound — obliged
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. season — in sport
  24. bound — certain

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