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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bound — certain
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. season — of the year
  12. spell — letters
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — in sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. spell — magic
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — a short time
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bound — tied together
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — a match

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