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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lean — thin
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ball — a great time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — to handle
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. craft — boats
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — a skill
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lean — to bend

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