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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bark — to shout
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. swing — music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bulb — for light

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