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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — farmland
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — a trail
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mouse — the animal

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