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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. land — ground
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. prune — to trim
  11. shower — to wash
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. land — a country
  14. bore — to tire
  15. prune — to trim
  16. shower — rain
  17. bore — to drill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — to come down
  24. stand — to bear

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