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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mine — for digging
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — of ice
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cap — a lid
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pop — music

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