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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bulb — for light
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ground — a position
  15. fine — high quality
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — of water
  18. fine — all right
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cap — a hat
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spring — the season
  24. can — a tin

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