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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — for money
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bank — for money
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. race — a contest
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bear — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. squash — to crush
  23. race — humankind
  24. racket — for tennis

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