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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rest — a break
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. land — ground
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bat — the animal
  11. land — a country
  12. rest — what's left
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. land — to come down
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — clever
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. sharp — exactly

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