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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fine — all right
  15. degree — temperature
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fine — high quality
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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