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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bat — the animal
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. hand — help
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. squash — the sport
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bat — for baseball

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