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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — what's left
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kid — to tease
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. ball — a great time
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rest — a break
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. date — the fruit
  24. jam — a tight spot

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