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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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. track — a song
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rule — a law
  6. mate — a partner
  7. rule — government
  8. tear — to rip
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pop — music
  23. track — a path
  24. bat — in an idiom

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