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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 120 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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — to wash
  11. charge — electricity
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. charge — in control
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — a dish

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