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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. land — to come down
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. charge — in control
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — an injury
  11. charge — a price
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. charge — electricity
  16. land — ground
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — a permit
  19. land — a country
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — employees
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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