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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mate — a partner
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — for money
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bank — of a river
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. staff — a stick
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — a kind of play

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