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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 124 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — army training
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. file — a line of people
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. drill — the tool
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fine — high quality
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — of a plant

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