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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spring — of water
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ground — crushed
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rash — a series
  11. ground — a position
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spring — the season
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — a coil
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a football final

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